School board rejects budget, plans to reduce tax hike

Jim Thorpe Area hopes to shave increase from 6.34 to 5 mills.

After hearing from several infuriated taxpayers, the Jim Thorpe Area School Board on Tuesday voted down a tentative budget that calls for a 20.06 percent, or 6.34 mill, property tax increase.

The school board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday to discuss and, school directors hope, reduce the proposed increase.

The $22.2 million spending plan must be available for public review for 30 days after board approval. A final budget must be adopted by June 30.

However, because the board won't meet until Monday -- June 2 -- the final budget won't be adopted until July 2.

"We won't be able to pay any bills or any salaries until July 2," said Business Manager William McElmoyle. "But for the sake of two days we'll be able to hold off."

McElmoyle hopes to pare the increase.

"It depends on what we receive from the state," he said. "I'm looking at possibly going down to 5 mills."

McElmoyle said he expects to know how much the state is contributing "any day now."

As it stands, the increase would boost the property tax from 30.75 to 37.10 mills.

That means the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 would pay $1,855 in school tax, $318 more than this year.

The board, with School Director Glenn Confer absent, voted to reject the plan. State law requires the majority of school board members to approve budgets.

If the increase is kept to 5 mills, the owner of a property assessed at $50,000 would pay $250 more than this year.

Each mill generates $429,775 in revenue.

The public school board meeting Tuesday drew several residents who are upset at the possibility of paying more tax.

Superintendent Keith Boyer explained that the district's expenses are growing because more students are enrolling.

The district will open a new elementary school this fall, the Penn Kidder Campus in Albrightsville.

It also is paying off the bonds it issued for the new school and for expanding and renovating its high school.

Resident Bud Morelli called on the board to examine the living situations of children attending district schools, especially those who live in rental housing and are from out of the area. Morelli wants to find out which children are living not with their parents but with relatives who have moved from New York City.

"I think there should be some kind of background check on students," he said.

Then the district should bill the students' home school districts, he said.

School Director Peter J. McGuire told those who oppose the tax increase to press state lawmakers for tax reform.

"It's a flawed system, and those people refuse to change the system," he said.

Junior Otto, at the meeting with his wife Victoria and their two children, called the tax increase "a form of theft."

School board President Patricia Zovak told Otto there wasn't much the school board could do -- the bulk of the budget is fixed costs.

In other matters Tuesday, the school board refused to pay for $17,743 worth of change orders to the new elementary school. The orders involve installing fire and smoke detectors that were not depicted on architectural drawings. They'll be installed anyway.

The board also hired the law offices of William G. Schwab, Lehighton, to represent the district in reassessment appeals. Schwab's office will be paid $90 an hour through Dec. 31 and $95 an hour after Jan. 1.